Staying Together
by JackBoy15
Summary: Nine year old Kaelyn Howe has been missing from her older brother, Jared Howe for three years after having been separated and one night they find themselves in the same abandoned building, finding their way back together, but Jared has moved on and made another family of survivors and will her brother love her again or will he choose his them over her.
1. Chapter 1

Running. That is all I had ever remembered ever doing in my nine years of life, fighting to survive in this world that been taken over by an alienated race and have no idea if any of my family or what is left of them, is even alive as I have been on my own since I was six after getting separated from my older brother, Jared after having to run to keep from being caught by the Seekers, the aliens that hunt us down and force us against our will to be host for their souls and Jared didn't want that to happen to us so we took off and I having only been six, I couldn't keep up with him and got separated from him, having not seen him since.

I am sure that Jared had looked for me when we got separated because I know I looked for him and he has always been super over protective of me, but no matter where I looked of all our secret places, I couldn't find him and wonder if he didn't just leave me to fend for myself, not wanting to risk getting for me as our brother Noah did, but Jared wasn't anything like Noah and wouldn't have just left me, we were too close for that.

Being so small for my age from being malnourished which is an complication from always having to be on the run from the Seekers, the aliens that hunt us down and forcing us against our wills to be host for their souls and my father and four of my older brothers fought to stop them and didn't survive, I was three and that left Jared and I to go on the run to keep us from being caught though my family refused to be used as hosts and killed themselves as it was their cause to fight for humanity though I was too young to remember.

I never really got along too well with my other four brothers with being so much younger than them and they weren't as patient with me as they were, and only Jared and Adam even acknowledge me, as they mostly just saw me as a burden and blamed me for our mother dying as she died from giving birth to me though Jared told me I had nothing to do with that and they just needed someone to take their anger out on them and wondered if Jared would have gone to fight if he hadn't had to stay behind with me.

As much as I am glad that I am still alive, it can sometimes be quite lonesome with having no one to talk and makes me miss Jared as he would always tell the best stories whenever I couldn't sleep, scared of going to sleep at night with always being on the run with my brother and his stories always got me to relax and help me sleep and have looked for him everywhere after escaping from the Seekers, but couldn't find him anywhere and haven't seen him for the last three years.

I have this way of always knowing that my brother is alive and just know that Jared is still alive and kicking, but he was always a good tracker and he taught me everything I know and wouldn't have lasted this long on my own if it wasn't for him and I will find Jared, he has to know that I am still out here and that I was still human; I still need him, wanting to just be able to depend on my brother to take care of me, not wanting to feel scared with being on my own.

I was hiding in a abandoned building in one of the closets so even if the Seekers did show up, they wouldn't be able to find because I was so small and can hide in the smallest spaces that they wouldn't even think to look, and could hear footsteps and voices on the floor I was sleeping on, and ever since I turned nine and gotten in my vampire gene powers, I could sense Jared when he would feel close and if I could sense my brother when I have just barely started progressing, Jared could surely sense me too.

I didn't like hearing the footsteps, terrified that I was going to be discovered in my hiding place and be taken by the Seekers against my will, wishing Jared was here to assure me, he always knew how to comfort me, but Jared was here to take care of me anymore, I had to take care of myself and will never get myself back to my brother if I am caught.

It was probably just another Seeker checking out the area for any humans on the run as myself, hearing them go away, but too petrified to move as it could just be a trap, waiting right outside that door, but I wouldn't go down without a might, after all, I was Jared sister and a Howe so nothing would stop me.

I really just wanted to go to sleep and get some rest, but fear of being caught overruled any need for sleep as I laid awake, listening for any sounds that I might hear, but only heard the sounds of the rain coming down from outside and the reason why I wasn't sleeping in the woods as I usually do, not wanting to get sick as I couldn't afford to and there was no more medicine in the world, all having been destroyed.

I was only nine and I shouldn't have to worry about getting sick or any of that, and should just have to worry about what game I want to play or playing tea party with my doll that I lost when I got separated from Jared as he had the bag with my doll in it, but wouldn't want it without my brother, he is all that matters to me, but in the world I live in now where humans are nearly extinct, I am constantly on the run with food scarce and having to eat it in rations and have to worry when I am going to eat next or how long I have left to live as human life is not of import to the Seekers.

It felt quiet so I sneaked out of my special hiding place in my closet as I had to really use the bathroom, not wanting to have another because I was too scared to come out of hiding, crawling quietly to the back of the room where the old lavatories were and sneaking towards them quickly, wanting to get back to my place in my closet, wishing I could just go asleep, but sleep doesn't ever come easy for me anymore, despite how exhausted I actually am and still having a body of a nine year old, but am just too scared to sleep these days.

I didn't know how to react when a large man grabbed me up from crawling towards my special closet, almost causing me scream out loud in fright, thinking it to be a Seeker, but a Seeker wouldn't hold a knife to my throat like this so obviously it was human, but was too scared to even speak, too busy shaking and not realizing I wet myself in fear from being scared like that.

"Where's the rest of them, parasite," an rough and dangerous voice said to me and was almost recognizable, making me think of Jared almost, but was too petrified to speak and just shook and whimpered in fear and suddenly feeling his hands on the back of my neck where all parasites have a scar from hosting a human and looking for a scar that wasn't there while still holding a knife to my throat and wish he would just kill me so I can be in peace and not have to be scared anymore.

I felt a flashlight shining in my facing and into my eyes, blinding my eyesight as tears were running down my face and hearing him whisper, "human," to himself and really at me in particular and for the first time actually seeing his face, wearing beat up rundown boots and ripped blue jeans, almost as my own, though my own are much worse off and a plain gray t-shirt with a brown leather jacket, seeing green eyes that match and the brown hair cropped short of a face I could never forget, coming face to face with my brother.

"Jared?"


	2. Chapter 2

I just stood there staring at the brother that I once loved and knew as I believed that I would never see him again and Jared just stared right back at me, and I saw changes in my brother that weren't there before we were separated and they weren't good changes either as he looked like he has seen too much and has finally reached his limit as I have, not really caring anymore if I was to live or die as I just couldn't deal with how I had to live with anymore, wanting more than anything to just be a kid with no worries and wonder where my next meal was coming from.

I was real worried that Jared no longer wanted me as he still hadn't made a move to even check me to see if I was human or even hug me as we had always been close as he always gave me hugs, maybe we weren't as close as I thought we were and he really didn't love me as much as I loved him.

I was preparing to just walk away as he obviously no longer wanted me like Noah said he wouldn't and I have no intention of being a burden to him anymore than I had been as I looked down as I attempted to walk away, when he reached out to halt me in my place though still hasn't said a one damn thing to me and he never takes this long, wanting more than anything to have him just lift me up in his arms and hug me tight like he did when I was six.

"Kaelyn," I heard him whisper softly like he was shocked that it was me, but he had to have felt me coming like I had felt him getting closer as I couldn't respond, not believing that Jared was actually here in front of me, it seems to good to be true, after being on the run without him for so long.

It seemed that he was in shock that I still in front of him, now nine year old and looking seriously malnourished as food is real scarce as I would rather die human from starvation than getting caught and being a host for an alien species as Jared said human survival is important to our world.

I glanced down, afraid that after all this hoping to find my way back to him, he wasn't going to want me when that is all that I ever wanted and it was my fault that we got separated because if I hadn't wandered off that day, we would never have gotten separated and all because I was mad at him over something I don't even remember.

I felt myself being lifted off my feet and gathered into his arms like he did when I was little and have so missed him holding me, "Kaelyn. My little Kaeby," I heard him say, using the nickname he gave me as a baby and as much as hearing call me that has annoyed me, it was something I missed hearing as that was something only Jared had called me.

I wrapped my tiny arms around his neck, holding on tight as I was afraid that if I was to let go, he would disappear and I would never see him again because that was what Noah did, ditching me the moment he found his girlfriend and I don't think I could take Jared leaving me too, I would have no longer have any will to live and just let myself die.

"Please don't leave me too, I promise not to bother you," I pleaded as I cried in his shoulder and feeling some of my abandoning issues come out that I have, thanks to Noah leaving me to rot when it became obvious that he hadn't been caught and just left to go off with his dumb girlfriend.

Now I have all these trust issues and believe that he is going to leave me too even though my instincts were so telling me that he would never leave me like Noah did as he had been the one that has raised me since I was a small baby after Momma and Daddy died as I felt him hold me close and try to soothe my crying.

"What are you going on about, Kaeby? I will never leave you, why would you think such a thing," I heard Jared say and I could the hurt in his voice as I believed he was just going to leave me just like everyone else has as he held me close.

"Noah did, he left me," I cried in his shoulder as he attempted to soothe, not liking that I hurt his feelings because I didn't mean to hurt him which made me cry even more, but I was always a crier as I felt Jared rock me.

"What do you mean Noah left you. Don't you mean he was taken by the Seekers," he said with a hint of anger in his voice as he didn't want to believe that our brother would his little sister to fend for herself while he goes off somewhere with his girlfriend as he only ever saw me as a burden and that I was in the way as I shook my head at him.

"No, not taken. He just left me to go off with his stupid girlfriend and it was all her fault. She made him hate me and told him that I was nothing more than a burden he had to carry. I didn't like her anymore, she was worse than yours. They can't be trusted, all they do is take my brothers away and make them want to abandon me too," I cried back in his shoulder, not wanting to cry anymore but after not crying for so long, it seems like I was crying for everything that has happened lately.

"He left you, Kae. Don't worry, I promise you I am not going to leave you leave like he did and trust me when I find Noah and I will find him, I am going to give such a ass kicking, he ain't going to feel anything for a month and not all girls are like that, you just haven't had the best experience with them. Though that is probably more our fault, we didn't exactly have the best taste in women.

Don't worry though because the girl I am with has a little brother who is about a few years older than you and she isn't going to make me abandon you just because she ain't getting all the attention. Trust me, you are going to love her, so just give her a chance and I promise you, I am not going to let anyone hurt you ever again," Jared said as I stopped crying but still holding me close, not wanting to let me go.

I felt him place me down, despite that is that last thing that I wanted him to do, wanting to feel close to him again as it was obvious that he has this whole new family that I am not part of and couldn't tell him how I felt about meeting his family even though he said that she was going to accept me and nothing like those old girls he had dated in our village before we had to flee.

I just wanted to feel close to him again and that is something that I haven't felt in a long time, wanting to just be a family again and it really is just the three of us though who knows what happened to Noah and his abandonment of me had caused our connection to be severed and never bothered to attempt and he probably never bothered looking for me either as he hated me since before he was even stuck taking care of me and I never knew why or what I did to make him feel that way about me.

We are all that we have left in this world, with very little human life left in existence and it is a miracle that we have managed to last this long without being captured though I am sneaky and quiet as most Seekers don't see me as I am so small for my age, and they never expect to find a human child hiding out and on the run.

That has always given me an advantage because they don't go looking for children and I am good at sneaking around without being noticed and mostly go up somewhere high where they can't see me, mostly up in the tree and have always loved climbing in trees and used to drive crazy when I would climb high up and he woul,d freak out and scold me for scaring him like that, one time even making me stand in the corner for going up too high, but now I use it as a tool for survival and I felt safer being high.

The only reason I hadn't found a tree today was because I didn't have time and there weren't any good trees around in this area so was hiding out in this storage closet until right before sunrise and then I was going to go hunting for somewhere to hide until night so I could leave the area and find a place somewhere safe, but if I hadn't slept here tonight, I would never have found Jared and I was so glad that I found him.

"Here, pack up whatever you have. We have to be quick. I'm going to get us some supplies then we have to get out of here. Try to find some clothes that fit, but be quick, we only have to sun up so we can't take too much time, just try to grab a few things and we'll get you more soon," he said and leading me over to girls clothes section and taking off to gather supplies.

I guess even being away from me, he was still my big brother and knew that my clothes don't fit me anymore, but never have gotten the chance to find some clothes and finding food was always more important than new clothes or shoes as I looked around to see clothes that would be more practical and quickly trying them out to see how they fit and stuffing them in my bag as Jared came around the corner, already finishing his supply shopping or stealing and carrying some black combat boots that looked my size.

"Here, quick. Try these on and see how they fit, then we have to get back. It's been too long and I know that Mel is going to be worried what has been taking me so long. I'll have to come back and the rest of the supplies in a couple of days, seeing you caught me by surprise and has delayed me," he said as he handed me some comfortable looking boots as I pulled off my beat up too small shoes and put them on.

I should have known they would be a perfect, Jared did always know what size I was even when I didn't as he pulled a few more clothes at me and pushing them in a purple bag that he swiped for me that wasn't falling apart, saying that I could try them on later when he got someplace safe and that I could meet Melanie and her brother, Jamie which I was real nervous about.

I felt him grab my hand and start pulling me towards the door with a box load of supplies and toward his deep, the same jeep that he was driving a few years ago and seeing it again made me smile as he opened the back door for me, ushering me in the back seat, knowing not to bother asking him if I could sit in the front and should be lucky I don't have a car seat, unless Jared still had it.

I spoke to soon because no sooner than that, did Jared pull out my old car seat and almost eye rolled at him for making me use my old car seat again, I was nine now, not six though I guess I was small enough to pass for six as he pulled out something I thought I would never see again, my old american girl bitty baby doll that I cherished and if melted my heart that he had actually saved my doll after all these years, hoping to see me again and wonder if he had my other doll, but didn't want to ask what happened to it yet.

"Don't you worry, Kae. I will never leave you, not for anyone," he said as he got in the front and putting on some sunglasses as he started driving and I just hope that now that I found my brother, everything was going to be okay as we drove to safety as I knew that Jared will never leave me like Noah did and not sure I could ever forgive him for that, but I was back with Jared again and after three years apart, that is all that mattered.


	3. Chapter 3

I had fallen asleep while Jared was driving, clutching my doll close to me as I woke up when I heard his jeep stop, hiding it from view from nearby Seekers that were always out at night hunting humans and glanced across the street to see some Seeker cars off to the side, making my heart stop, I just got my brother back, I didn't want to leave him yet.

He didn't seem to notice that I was awake as he was watching the Seekers from afar while we were parked outside some abandoned hotel, "Jared, there are Seekers over there," I told him, feeling scared at the thought of being caught and saw him glance at me, sensing my fear.

"I know, baby. Mel and Jamie are supposed to be sleeping in that hotel, I need to get them out before they get caught," he said to me softly though I don't think he was really talking to me as much as himself, seeing going into alert mode so knew he wasn't paying attention to me as he was staying alert for any signs of danger.

I jumped when I saw some girl jump through the window at the top level of the hotel and I feared that this may be the girl that Jared was so telling me so much about as I looked at Jared to see his reaction and saw the heartbroken look on his face that even I don't think I can fix.

I felt my brother turn around to look at me with hard stern eyes, "Kaelyn, I need to go inside and get Jamie. Stay hidden and don't get out of this jeep, you understand," he told me sternly that sounded more like the big brother I knew, knowing what he would do if I got out and this probably wasn't the best time to whine about him leaving me so just nodded my head.

I move out of my car seat which I was glad to get out of, hating that thing with evil passion and hiding onto the floor as Jared got out of the car, wanting more than anything to see what he was doing, but knew he wanted me to wait for him out of sight, but wouldn't have left me if he didn't think I could handle it and honestly I don't think I can, but didn't want to tell him it was becoming too much for me.

I am only nine years old, I shouldn't have to worry about getting snatched by Seekers, I shouldn't have to worry about going hungry or having my older brother abandon me for some dumb girl but I do and it sucks I was born into this world before I had a chance at being a child, but that is just the way it is.

I could hear movement from outside as well as cars starting up, but my feared of overpowered my curiosity of wanting to see what was going on, but didn't dare move, not wanting to disobey my brother when he told me to stay hidden and Jared doesn't like to be disobeyed which Noah did on a daily basis when we were all together.

I jumped and bit back a scream when the car door opened, fearing they were Seekers and terrified they were going to find me and take me away from my brother again after just getting him back, I couldn't leave him now, he already lost his girlfriend, I couldn't let him lose me to, knowing he would probably blame himself for leaving me alone.

I let out a scream that I was holding when I felt someone pulling me out as someone put their hand over my mouth, muffling my scream, "Shh. Kaelyn, it's just me," I heard Jared say lifting me into his arms and seeing a boy that looked thirteen with brown hair with red eyes that looked like he had been crying, got into the passenger seat and giving me a confused look, probably wondering who I was.

I was never good around new people though that has more to do with I was hardly around anyone but my brothers before the invasion so didn't socialize well with anyone but my brothers, hiding my face in Jared as the boy who was probably Jamie kept staring at me, making me nervous as it takes me a while to get used to someone.

"Jamie, this is Kaelyn, my sister. Try not to stare at her, she gets nervous being around new people" he told the boy while I hid in my brother, feeling anxious as he tried not to stare at me so much but could still feel him glancing at me and didn't need to ask Jared where his girlfriend is, I already knew and feel sad for this Jamie, he just lost his sister.

"It's alright, Kaelyn baby, Jamie isn't going to hurt you. There is no reason for you to be scared of him, he isn't Noah, baby," Jared gently told me, making me glance at the boy through my red locks of hair that was in my face as he gave me a smile with slight sadness, feeling Jared place me back in my booster seat in the back seat after giving me a reassuring smile.

I could hear my brother telling Jamie how he met up with me which was why he was so delayed and hoped that they didn't blame me for delaying Jared and that is why his sister died, listening how Jared was taking Jamie and me to his Aunt's, hoping she could help us find Jamie's uncle who was hiding somewhere in the desert as I remained silent, not feeling like I was actually a part of this conversation.

I knew we couldn't drive around forever because knowing my brother, he would probably want to preserve gas as much as possible as gas is hard to come by when you are on the run and is much harder to steal, but I knew Jared probably had some extra filled gas cans in the back of his car somewhere though I think he was just driving and getting as far away from any sign of alien life as possible before finding a place to stay.

I felt myself drifting off again as for once I didn't fear going sleep because I knew my big brother won't let anything to happen to me and I was never going to leave his side again, no matter how angry I get at him which is bound to happen as despite being close, we are both stubborn with opposite personalities, but Jared says he doesn't care and loves me the way I am.

I had slowly been drifting asleep when I was woken up again by the car stopping and see we had pulled up on a abandoned road that looked like it had long been forgotten which was probably safest place for us as I could see that Jamie had fallen asleep with tear streaks down his face, making it obvious he had cried himself to sleep but I don't blame him for that one and I cried myself to sleep for months after first getting separated from Jared, but I had a feeling he didn't want my brother knowing he cried.

I could see my brother awake and just staring out in the meadow as he kept his face hard though I was his sister and could see past his tough exterior and knew he was at a breaking point and needed to cry at the loss of his girlfriend as I could see the brother I love changing before my eyes and I didn't like the changes on him.

"Jardie," I spoke, using my special nickname for him that I gave him when I was little and had been too young to say Jared yet though only I was ever allow to get away with calling him that, remembering his former called him that after hearing me say it and told her never to call him that, only I was allowed to and nearly whacked Noah for taunting him with it.

I saw him glance up at me and could see unshed tears in his eyes that were threatening to fall, but my brother refused to break though he has always been like that, never wanting to show weakness but apparently that was how Daddy raised him to be like, but he never likes to talk about it.

"Kaeby, what are you doing up? I thought you were asleep, baby? Would you sleep better if he came up here with me," he asked me quietly as to not wake Jamie up from his sleeping state though I know Jared wanted me there for him as he always likes to give me comfort when he is at his breaking point, wanting to hide his true feelings behind me.

I nodded, knowing he wanted up there with him more than I needed to be up there with him as I unbuckled my seat belt and climbed out of my booster seat that Jared is making me use, saying I was real little and didn't want anything to happen to me and felt him helping me over the seat and placing me onto his lap as he wrapped a warm blanket around me.

"It's okay, my little Kaeby. Everything is going to alright, big brother will make sure of it. Don't you worry about anything, I will take care of it all, you don't need to be scared," he said, comforting me as he rocked me, knowing he was saying it more for him than myself, but I worry how long he was going to last before he breaks.

It just doesn't seem fair that he had finally found someone he cared about, despite my dislike for any girl he goes with, only just to have her be taken away from him and now he is left with two kids to care of, with me having more issues than he remembers because of Noah abandoning me and I hate myself for wishing I never had to see them again.

I know he needed me close more than I did right now and honestly didn't mind as I never minded when Jared would baby me because it always made me feel safe and it was always a bonus that it annoyed the hell out of Noah when Jared would baby me, claiming he spoiled me too much which wasn't true as even though he would baby me, he never let me misbehave either.

I never understood what Noah's problem is with me as I never did anything to make him hate me so much, never realizing how much he hated me until after getting separated from Jared and that girl we met along the way just made him hate me more where it would sometimes become physical, saying I deserved it for being born and killing Momma and getting him stuck with watching me.

Jared doesn't know all what down when I was with Noah as I haven't told him everything yet, though I am sure once all this settles down, he is going to sit me down and ask me what happened because my brother notices everything and sure he has noticed the changes in me and how I was more anxious and clingier than normal which he can blame on Noah for him and his girlfriend's awful treatment of me before they left me for dead.

My brother wasn't stupid and knew how not to get caught because Jared taught us both how to avoid being detected by the Souls, especially the Seekers so know that Noah didn't just get caught, he left me which hurt more than him telling me he hated me every day as I never thought he could be so cruel to leave me defenseless like that, and still scared that Jared was going to leave me too, despite him telling me he would never leave me.

"Are you sad, Jare," I asked innocently but it was obvious that he was hurting real bad and all that I wanted was to make him feel better and make him smile again, but it looked like he was never going to smile again and I didn't like the idea of never seeing Jared smile again.

"I'm alright, baby doll, you don't need to worry about me, that's my job," he said, holding me tight though knew he was feeding me bull because it was written all over his eyes that he was sad and grieving the lose of his girlfriend and I wonder what it must have been like for him to be separated from Noah and I because despite Noah being cruel to me, at least we were together, Jared had been all alone so I was slightly glad he had someone with him.

I didn't think he was going to talk as he didn't want to admit to himself just how much he was hurting and wasn't anything else to keep his mind off of it and felt for him, he was my brother and I didn't know how to make him feel better, so the only thing I can do is be there for him and hope that one day he will be okay and make sure I was never separated from him again, letting my eyes close drop, feeling myself slowly drifting back to sleep.


End file.
